Guest Speaker - Major General Briggs

Air Force Major General Briggs stopped by to speak with my Math Literacy students about the basics of pilot math and the power of mental math.  He started his talk by asking students four questions and then walked through how to answer each of the questions and their relevance to him as a pilot.

Let's design our own henna!

Community member and owner of Rocky Mountain Henna, Carla Remillard, spent a few days with students in my Math Literacy class.  Ms. Carla spent the first day educating students on the ingredients of henna and the dangers of using black henna.  The second day Ms. Carla showcased Moroccan designs and their connection to transformations in math.  Students had the rest of class to apply henna (with prior permission from parents/guardians, of course!) based on designs  inspired by geometric designs are personal interests.

Guest Speaker - Sean Starkey

Challenger parent, Sean Starkey, visited with students in my Math Literacy class to discuss the challenges and benefits of being an engineer.  He shared about his current work in telecommunications, coding, and sound frequency and played with sound quality using Audacity. 

Guest Speaker - Bonnie Birckenstaedt

Bonnie sharing talking about her role at ULA

A good friend of mine from my days at Colorado School of Mines came to speak with my Math Literacy kiddos on Friday, October 3.  Bonnie is a Radio Frequency Engineer at United Launch Alliance (ULA).  She was able to share her challenges, passions, and accomplishments with my students to inspire them to become engineers and pursue space exploration.

Bonnie pointed out all of the math she uses on a daily basis to solve complex problems - her favorite being Calculus :-P

Click HERE to see her presentation.

Guest Speaker - Karlene Thomas

Local wildlife affected by construction

I am fortunate to have several community members and parents of Challenger students who want to share what they love most about their career with students.  A Challenger parent, Karlene Thomas, came into my Math Literacy class today to share problems she solves on a regular basis as an Environmental Engineer with Pinyon Environmental, Inc.

Demonstrating erosion mitigation

She included several demonstrations to illustrate how she addresses environmental concerns along the Front Range. She thoroughly explained how communication and collaboration are essential for the environmental engineers, biologists, and civil engineers to minimize the impact of construction on local wildlife, the environment, and water quality.

Checking the pH level of water

Sand vs. silt particles in water

I am so grateful to have parents enthusiastic about sharing their passion with students and encouraging them to pursue a college degree!

Click HERE to view her presentation.

Next week a good friend of mine, Bonnie Birckenstaedt, will be presenting to students.  Bonnie is a Radio Frequency Engineer with United Launch Alliance (ULA).